The road is narrow, an approximately forty-five-minute drive Southeast of downtown Carlsbad and seemingly insignificant when viewed on a map.
Why are they there? When did it start, and why? Who was the first one to do it?
Sadly, there are no satisfactory answers for many of these questions. According to one business owner in Eddy County, when workers got new boots for the field, they would hang their old ones along the fence rather than take them all the way back to town. There was no more significance to it than mild laziness. An account like this, however, seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
While there is nearly nothing written online about Buck Jackson Road (there was an article published in the Las Cruces Sun News a few years ago about the oil boom in Carlsbad, but it mentioned the boot highway only briefly), if one searches “Buck Jackson Road NM” under the “Posts” tab on Facebook, the significance of the highway becomes a bit clearer, as does the reality of its far-reaching impact. Some have posted pictures, and one Facebook user even posted a video of the boots hanging from the fence as they drove by, remarking, “It goes on for miles like this.”
Over two years ago, another Facebook user shared a lengthy post about the highway and the emotional weight of each boot hung. Since then, the post has been shared over fifteen thousand times. Within, the user divulges what he believes to be the true significance of the boots on the fence posts:
“The short story is that this is where oilfield workers come to “hang their boots” and quit the oilfield… the real story is much more than that. Every boot tells a story. Some of these boots belong to fathers that simply couldn’t stand being away from the people they love any longer. Some boots represent husbands that chose to go home and save their marriages cause their wives couldn’t handle them being gone. Some simply represent men who couldn’t handle the 90+ hour work week. Some belonged to hands that couldn’t stand the heat, the hazing, the pusher, the company man, or the brutality of this lifestyle. But…. many of these boots belong to hard working men, fathers, husbands, providers, boyfriends, and sons that NEVER wanted to hang them there. Men who didn’t quit the oilfield. The oilfield quit them. ~G”
Many of the comments on the post echoed one of two sentiments — either surprise at the backstory provided, or surprise that such a road exists, or confirmation from those who, like the author of the post, have driven on Buck Jackson Road for years while working oil rigs in the area.
The post is moving, but it is not only the words that are powerful; it is also the enormity of the road’s reach.
While Buck Jackson Road resides in Eddy County, the highway moves all the way down to the Texas border. It is not only oilfield workers in Southeast New Mexico who have a connection to it, but those in West Texas, as well. The author of this famous post, in fact, is himself a Texas resident, as are many of the people who shared it.
Buck Jackson is more than just some narrow side road in Eddy County, New Mexico. It is a regional monument, both of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, a symbol of pride for what oilfield workers endure, a testament to the sheer brutality of the industry.
The oil industry is often taken for granted by many in Eddy and even Lea County; it is just a part of life. Drive out of Carlsbad in any direction and you will run into oil derricks at some point. If a recently graduated high school student is unsure about college, they are steered toward the oilfield. “It’s good money,” or “It’s hard work, but it’s good work,” and “It’ll teach you work ethic and responsibility,” are all examples of what kids contemplating their future in Eddy County may hear on a regular basis.
But.... many of these boots belong to hard working men, fathers, husbands, providers, boyfriends, and sons that NEVER wanted to hang them there. Men who didn't quit the oilfield. The oilfield quit them.
All of these statements may be true, but one has to look at the fence line on Buck Jackson Road and wonder if any oilfield hand has ever truly realized the harsh reality as they embarked on a career in the oil industry. Do we, in fact, as citizens in such close proximity to it all, realize the sacrifice that men and women undergo every day — knowing that they could lose their lives, their jobs, or even their families at any given moment on the job?
Every boot has a unique story, but the boots also have a collective story. The oil industry is challenging, cutthroat even, but it is worthy of commemoration. Regardless of how it originated, the boot highway is now a memorial to those who once called the oil industry home, but for one reason or another, had to move on.
So, the next time you find yourself traveling southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, stop by Buck Jackson Road and take in the magnitude of the boots that hang on along the fence. It may not be as grand as the Carlsbad Caverns, but it is still a landmark worth experiencing.
